Re: Akpabio, Akpabio

SIR: I read with keen interest Tunji Adegboyega’s piece with the above title published in The Nation of June 1. I want to say that I was deeply disappointed by your views which I feel is a spite on the feelings of Akwa Ibom people.

In the first instance, I do not know whether you visited Akwa Ibom in 1999, 2006 and now. It is on the strength of such observations that any commentator should position his assessment. Whatever roads have been constructed in Akwa Ibom has been done cumulatively; so in essence the road network in Uyo can be attributed to Nkanga, Attah and lately Akpabio. But one thing is worth knowing: Akpabio has received 10 times the amount of money earned by his predecessors but his achievement is not commensurate with that revenue profile. There is endemic poverty in the state while he embarks on white elephant projects like Ibom Tropicana and an e-library.

The Tropicana project is a monumental waste of public fund as the state government subsidises the Cinema yet not up to 20 people are seen in the cinema hall at a time even though it costs only N250 to watch a movie. This is a stark contrast to Silverbird cinema in Victoria Island and Ikeja where movie watchers are ready to pay N1500 to see a movie. Right now even Akpabio knows that he is a failure. That’s why he is campaigning to have an Eket man succeed him so that that person can fix the roads in Eket which he neglected. Akpabio has promoted sectionalism which manifested in the last civil service recruitment which he was forced to cancel because his Annang kinsmen made up 90% of the employees.

There are still house boys of Akwa Ibom origin in Lagos. I say so because I lived in Lagos and I know many of them now. Akpabio only made efforts not backed by economic incentive.

Now he is stealing Akwa Ibom blind with the active collaboration of the State House of Assembly.

Take it from me. Akpabio has only performed on paper. That’s why he built an edifice for himself with the inscription ‘Akpabiosm, a new concept in leadership’. He is desperate for fame and I cannot wait to celebrate his exit from the hilltop mansion.

Please visit Akwa Ibom and talk to people on the streets before you make comments about the state. What you see on papers is different from what is on ground.